9

Sal

"Where are we?" I asked in a small voice as Briar pulled into a clearing in the woods.

"A place I like to go to clear my head," Briar said, taking the key out. "Are you coming?"

I didn't answer as he got out of the car. After a moment, I followed. I grabbed my shoulder, moving behind him.

Briar had barely gotten out of his house slippers and was still in PJs. His long hair was a mess, but somehow it looked so good. His shoulders filled the long sleeve shirt, sleeves rolled just below his elbows. He was wearing fleece pajama pants and his sneakers. He hunched just a bit while he walked, making him look a bit shorter, even though he was still taller than me.

I followed in silence until the sound of rushing water filled my ears. After a moment, we were met with a small creek and waterfall. I stepped next to Briar, eyes wandering over the beautiful area.

"I came here a lot when my dad… was drunk. It was peaceful… Don't ruin it for me." He explained.

I scoffed. "Aren't I just great at ruining shit? The Academy. Spectre. Your friend group."

"We are not ruined. Don't be dramatic."

I rolled my eyes. "You have no idea what I'm going through. It's just a mechanical arm to you guys. Dead weight. But it's… more. I feel normal with it. And now it's gone until I get a new one."

"It won't be long at all, Psalm."

"So, I let everyone see me like this?" I snapped. "Ugly, one-armed? Why do you think I hid this shit? For fun?"

Briar's eyes scanned my face, brows softening. "You think… you're ugly because you have one arm?"

I sighed, slowly sitting on a boulder. "You hear it so many times you believe it… I was grateful… he didn't touch me anymore, but why did it hurt more to be ignored."

Silence stilled in the air.

"Fuck," I ran my fingers over my curls. "Just ignore me."

"How can I? You were a kid and whatever happened wasn't your fault."

I scoffed. "Stop it."

"I'm serious."

"Whatever."

"You're so stupidly gorgeous it hurts."

My eyes snapped to his.

He was looking down at me, lips parted. "Arm or not, that doesn't take away from you. You're beautiful, and you're smart and annoyingly funny and witty. You are more than what he told you you were."

My eyes blinked as hot tears filled him. "I don't feel it… I just… I was the outcast. No one wanted to be around me because I was always punished. I was always the pretty girl they wanted until I lost my arm. I was a child, and it wasn't my fault, but why do I think like this? Basing my beauty on my sexiness or on my arm? I'm fucked up, aren't I? Thinking like that as a kid. Why was I good enough?"

"Fuck. I want to kill him."

I looked down as Briar moved to me, sitting before me.

His hands brushed my tears away. "I think fucked up too. Don't worry. There's nothing wrong with it, but your mindset needs to change. None of us care that you have one arm, Psalm. I would still fuck you the same way, just maybe different positions."

"What?" A smirk curled on my lips.

"What?" He deadpanned.

"Repeat what you just said."

He rolled his eyes. "So, now you don't listen to me?"

"You just said you wanted fuck me and didn't care about my arm."

"And?"

"I thought you hated me."

"You annoy me," he said, straightening. "There's a difference. You're still really attractive."

I smiled softly. "You don't have to lie to me, Briar."

He scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"It's hard to believe sometimes, okay? I'm not always confident and sexy and—"

With a scoff, he grabbed my cheeks and crashed his lips against mine. He pulled back as quickly as he kissed me. Silence filled the air for a moment. "Thank God, you shut up."

My lips parted, still tasting him.

We looked at each other for a second until I moved to the edge of the rock and cupped his cheek. Our lips touched again, and we both sighed.

I never knew Briar felt like this. Unlike Beck, he didn't show too much of his emotions.

Briar reached up and cupped my hair. "Would you like to swim with me?"

I blinked, eyes looking at the creek behind him. "I can't swim."

"It's waist deep. But you're pretty short, so I guess you'll drown."

I hit his shoulder. "You can't compliment me and then insult me."

He shrugged, standing. He proceeded to shred his shirt and kick off his shirt.

My eyes wandered and dropped over his body. He was a bit wider than Beck, with another row of abs. His hips had a nice happy trail and v going down his pants. He dropped his pants… but kept his boxers on.

"Come on, Ashbourne. I am not shivering by myself," he said, moving to the water.

I kept my sports bra on and just dropped my shorts to keep my boy shorts on. I kicked off my shoes before moving to the water.

He was already hissing about how fucking freezing it was.

I was right behind him, hissing as well.

The water only reached my sternum, so I didn't need to swim. I dunked under the water before standing and looking up. He did the same, letting his chestnut hair move over his forehead.

Then his eyes moved to my right arm. "Can't you take the rest off? It's broken. Might as well."

I swallowed, looking down as I reached over. My hands worked without much thought, getting what was left of the mechanical arm off.

Briar took it and chucked it over to the side. His cold hands moved to space where my arm should have been. "I don't think it should be this red and bruising."

"Yeah. the arm was too small and pinched a lot."

"Damn," he muttered. "I know you are getting a new one, but if you ever need it off, take it the fuck off. I don't like seeing you bruised."

I looked up at him, and his eyes were on the waterfall behind me. My eyes dropped to all the scars on his chest, the burn mark, and all the small cuts. I reached up and touched the small cuts.

His eyes moved to me slowly.

"Did your dad do this?"

He sighed. "Yeah… Burned me. Cut me. Whatever the drunk wanted to do that day…"

"I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"You went through it too. That's how I can relate with you."

"Sad," I muttered, making him laugh. "This is not your fault either."

His laughter died. "I know… I did it to protect Beck. He was going to fight for Beck, so I decided to go. No one knew how he was beside me. Mom divorced him long ago, and that's when the drinking started. Beck is a heavy sleeper, so he never heard the crashing of bottles. I would inspect and get the brunt of it. Still, I shelter my brother."

I flattened my hand against his chest, feeling his slow heartbeat. "I'm sorry. You're an amazing brother, but I think Beck hates seeing you go through shit you don't have to, just for him."

"I know. But he's my brother. I love him and will protect him with my dying breath."

I smiled lightly. "Jade was like to me. She protected me… Now I have no one to do that."

"Beside Abel, Beck, Kier, Osiris, Jinn, Cain, and probably even Father Nero and Cozen."

I rolled my eyes. "Cozen was like that in the foster home. He had a lot of anger toward me growing up but never showed it until the guy who trained me helped him get through it. I'm sure Abel and Beck will protect me, not to the death."

"I left the house and would have followed you before letting you out of my sight." He explained, stepping closer so I stepped back. "I would rather die than see you ever fucking hurt."

"You don't mean that. You don't like me like that," I whispered.

"I love the way you dance when you're eating pizza."

I dance? The food is that good.

"I love the way you think and how unselfish you are. I love the way you talk back and don't take anyone's shit."

I stepped under the waterfall, and he followed. I pushed the water from my face as I broke through. My back hit the rock, and he pressed himself into me, cock hard even in this freezing water.

"I like you, and I would rather die than see anyone ever hurt you. You don't think I wanted to stop you from stepping up? Fuck everyone else. You and my friends are my priority. This wasn't only Kier's idea for you to be at his house."

"Briar."

His hands ran up my side, over my shoulders, and into my hair. "I want to hurt everyone who has ever hurt you. I want them to feel your pain."

My chest was heaving. His warmth surrounded me, and I knew the moment he pulled back, it would be gone.

Why was today going like this? Two new men wanting me and Osiris looking at me differently.

"It's because I'm Spectre, isn't it?"

"Please. I can show you footage of us talking about fucking you before we knew who you were. I don't care who you are as long as I have the real you. Not the you that hides everything—her nightmares, her fears, herself. I want you."

I swallowed. "Briar…"

He leaned down, lips so close to mine. "Tell me you want me too."

After a breathy moment, I whispered, "I want you too."

His hands ran over my side, mouth touching mine. Slowly we kissed under the shade of the rock while the waterfall splashed behind us. His hand grabbed the back of my thighs and pulled me up, cock pressed between us.

"You're so fucking gorgeous," he muttered against my lips.

I wrapped my arm around his shoulder, tongue running over his lips. The moment our tongues touched, heat exploded between us. Our kiss became more feverish, like we were clinging to each other's last air. My heels pushed into his ass, moaning as his fingers ran up my spine.

Briar's phone went off nearby, making us pull apart.

I let out a groan.

"I wasn't going to fuck you anyways, to prove a point. You're going to be beautiful to me one armed, wrapped around me, and you're going to be beautiful when I push my cock into you."

My thighs shook around his waist.

He smirked a bit—Briar smirked at me. And slowly, he carried me out of the creak, not letting me down until we went back to the rock.

He had to redial the number. "Yep? Done? Yeah, we will be back in a bit. Bye."

I rolled my eyes. Of course, Kier knew I had gone with him. He wasn't even too worried about me leaving.

Briar took off my wet bra, letting it drop to the ground. His eyes locked on my eyes as he helped me put on my shirt and then the same with the bottoms. Not once did he make it sexual, yet he kept telling me how gorgeous I was, all while looking at my face.

"Are you ready?" he asked, putting on his dry clothes.

I looked back at the waterfall. Part of me didn't want to go. It was peaceful here, no stress about having to deal with the looks at me.

"One more minute?" I asked, looking up at him.

Briar nodded, sitting with me. We sat in silence for the next few minutes, listening to the sound of the water rushing down the creek. It was beautiful here, a place that I never knew existed. Ashbourne didn't have places like this.

With a sigh, I stood. "I'm ready."